1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electronic image recording/reproducing apparatus and method, and more particularly to an apparatus and method of recording a plurality of images and sounds (sound memos) related thereto in a recording medium, and continuously reproducing images from the recording medium as, for example, in a digital still camera.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an electronic image recording apparatus such as a digital still camera, a so-called automatic continuous reproducing operation is possible. In this operation, images and sounds related thereto are recorded in a recording medium such as a flash memory and the images are automatically read out, in order, of the recording medium by designating a continuous reproducing mode, thereby displaying them on a monitor.
A method for periodically reproducing a sound related to an image in a conventional digital still camera has been proposed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 6-90429 [H04N 5/91, G03B 19/02] laid-open on Mar. 29, 1994. In the prior art, when a recording time of the image signal and a recording time of the sound signal are close to each other within a predetermined time period, the image signal and the sound signal are combined with each other and reproduced. This prior art was proposed to solve a disadvantage in a prior-known method, that is, a method that a control file (relation table) indicative of relationship between the image signals and the sound signals is formed in another area of a memory.
More specifically, in the method using the control file, there was a disadvantage in that the image and the sound cannot be reproduced in correspondence to each other if the control file has been erroneously erased. Therefore, in the prior art, in order to surely reproduce the image and the sound in correspondence with each other even if information indicating the relationship, the respective recording times are utilized. According to this prior art, the disadvantage of the method using the control file can be solved; however, there remains another disadvantage to be solved.
In the method of the prior art, there is no problem in the usage that the image signal and the sound signal are simultaneously recorded. However, if the image recording time and the sound recording time differ from each other more than the predetermined time period, it is impossible to reproduce the image and sound signals in relation to each other. Therefore, in a so-called xe2x80x9cafter recordingxe2x80x9d in which only an image signal is recorded in advance and a sound signal in connection to the image signal is recorded later, it may be impossible to reproduce both signals in relation to each other because in such a case of xe2x80x9cafter recordingxe2x80x9d, the image recording time and the sound recording time largely deviate from each other.
Therefore, it is a principal object of this invention to provide a novel electronic image recording/reproducing apparatus and method.
It is another object of the invention to provide an electronic image recording/reproducing apparatus and method, in which even if there is no control file and a recording time of an image signal and a recording time of a sound signal largely deviate from each other, it is possible to surely reproduce the image signal and the sound signal related thereto in relation to each other.
An electronic image recording apparatus according to the invention comprises: an image inputting means which inputs image data; a sound inputting means which inputs sound data; a recording medium capable of recording the image data and the sound data; an image recording means which writes the image data in the recording medium so as to form an image data area; a sound recording means which writes the sound data in the recording medium so as to form a sound data area; and an address recording means which writes an address of the sound data area into the image data area at a time that the sound data area is formed by the sound recording means.
Where the electronic image recording apparatus is a digital still camera, if a camera mode is set for example by a reproduce/camera mode selecting button, by means of the image recording means, the image signal from an imaging device is compressed according to a predetermined compressing method, for example, JPEG, and recorded in the recording medium such as a flash memory, and therefore, the image data area is formed. The sound data related to the image can be recorded by the sound recording means in the recording medium by compressing the sound signal related to the image signal for a predetermined time period, e.g., 6 seconds, due to the operation, for example, of a sound memo button. Then, the address of the sound data area in which the sound data is recorded, preferably a starting address is recorded in the image data area by the address recording means.
An electronic image reproducing apparatus according to the invention reproduces an image and a sound from a recording medium on which the image and the sound concerning with the image are respectively recorded in an image data area and a sound data area, and the electronic image reproducing apparatus comprises: an image reproducing means which reproduces a first image from the image data area of the recording medium; an address detecting means which detects an address which indicates the sound data area and recorded in the image data area; and a sound reproducing means which reproduces the sound data in the sound data area related to the address as a first sound at a time that the address is detected by the address detecting means.
Where the electronic image recording apparatus is a digital still camera, if the reproduce/camera mode button is operated continuously or a predetermined time period, e.g. 2 seconds, setting is made for an automatic continuous reproducing mode. In this continuous reproducing mode, a CPU which constitutes the image reproducing means reads a first image out of the recording medium, and extends the image to write it into a VRAM. Accordingly, the first image is displayed on an attached liquid crystal monitor or TV monitor. The address detecting means is constituted by the CPU, which determines whether or not the address indicative of the first sound related to the first image is recorded in the recording medium. If the address of the sound data area is recorded in the image data area, the sound reproducing means, i.e. the CPU reads-out the first sound from the recording medium according to the sound recording address so that the first sound is expanded and outputted to a speaker, earphone or sound output terminal, for example, through a register and a D/A converter.
Since this first sound is recorded for a predetermined time period, e.g. 6 seconds, the CPU reproduces a second image after completely reproducing the first sound. That is, after the first sound is reproduced, the second image is read out of the address of the recording medium recorded with the second image. In addition, even if the first sound is not recorded, the second image is reproduced after the first image has been reproduced for the predetermined time period.
A method for recording an image signal according to the present invention comprises steps of: (a) writing image data in a recording medium and forming an image data area; (b) writing sound data in the recording medium and forming a sound data area; and (c) writing an address of the sound data area into the image data area at a time that the sound data area is formed.
An image reproducing method is a method for reproducing an image and a sound from a recording medium on which the image and the sound concerning with the image are respectively recorded in an image data area and a sound data area, and comprises steps of: (a) reproducing a first image from the image data area of the recording medium; (b) detecting an address which indicates the sound data area and recorded in the image data area; and (c) reproducing the sound data in the sound data area related to the address as a first sound at a time that the address is detected.
In another aspect, this invention lies in a method of continuously reproducing images in an electronic image recording apparatus having a recording medium recorded with images and sounds related thereto, the continuous reproducing method, comprising: (a) reproducing a first image from the recording medium; (b) determining whether or not a first sound related to the first image is recorded in the recording medium; (c) reproducing the first sound from the recording medium when the first sound is recorded therein; and (d) reproducing a second image after ending the reproduction of the first sound.
According to this invention, when a sound related to an image is recorded in a recording medium, the sound in addition to the image can be reproduced automatically and continuously. In such a case, if the sound is recorded, the recording address of the related sound is recorded in the image data area, and therefore, it is possible to determine whether or not the sound related to the image is recorded by using the address. Therefore, as different from the first conventional method, it is unnecessary to separately prepare the control file (table). Furthermore, in the second conventional method, in a case where the image recording time and the sound recording time largely deviate from each other, even if the sound related to the image has been recorded, the both cannot be reproduced in relation to each other, and therefore, in a case where the sound is recorded through xe2x80x9cafter recordingxe2x80x9d, it is impossible to simultaneously reproduce the image and the sound. In contrast, in the present invention, if the sound related to the image is recorded, the address of the sound data area is written in the image data area, and therefore, when the address is recorded, the sound specified by the address can be reproduced. Accordingly, even if the sound is recorded through xe2x80x9cafter recordingxe2x80x9d, the image and the sound concerning therewith can be reproduced in synchronous with each other.
The above described objects and other objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.